Many conventional wheeled vehicles include a suspension system for supporting wheels with respect to the frame of a vehicle. Suspension systems can be useful to help absorb shocks and/or vibrations that would otherwise be transmitted from a road surface to the frame of a vehicle. Suspension systems are available in many of a variety of alternative conventional configurations. One of these configurations involves the use of one or more suspension arms to support a wheel with respect to a vehicle's frame. In such a configuration, an upper suspension arm and a lower suspension arm can be used to support a wheel knuckle, wherein the wheel knuckle includes a spindle for rotatably supporting a wheel. Such upper and lower suspension arms are available in a variety of conventional arrangements.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a suspension arm 322 is shown to comprise a first elongated support member 334, a second elongated support member 337, a third elongated support member 358, and a forged bracket 340. Proximal ends of the first and second elongated support members 334, 337 are shown to be welded to the third elongated support member 358. A distal end of the first elongated support 334 member penetrates an opening in an end surface 366 of the bracket 340 and is welded in place. A distal end of the second elongated support member 337 is welded to a side surface 368 of the bracket 340.
The first elongated support member 334 and the third elongated support member 358 comprise substantially straight pipes, while the second elongated support member 337 comprises a bent pipe. The bracket 340 is formed through a forging process and includes an opening 345 to receive a ball joint connected with a wheel knuckle. The bracket 340 includes an attachment portion 342 which provides the end surface 366 and the side surface 368, as well as a kick portion 344 which defines the opening 345. The suspension arm 322 also includes utility tabs 352 and 356 to facilitate connection of a brake line, as well as a utility tab 354 to facilitate attachment of a cushion (e.g., shock, strut, and/or spring). A support arrangement 361 is provided within the third elongated support member 358 to facilitate a pivotable connection with a bolt, axle or other interface between the third elongated support member 358 and the frame of an associated vehicle.
Manufacture of the suspension arm 322 is expensive due to the need for bending of the second elongated support member 337, and additionally due to the relatively high cost of manufacturing the bracket 340 as a forging, and still furthermore due to the need for highly complex welding to facilitate effective attachment between dissimilar materials (e.g., the bracket 340 is forged, unlike the first and second elongated support members 334, 337). Furthermore, when making a corresponding suspension arm for an opposite side of the same vehicle, it will be appreciated that at least the bracket 340 must be replaced with an alternative bracket. Accordingly, a manufacturer must purchase differing components for manufacturing such suspension arms configured for opposite sides of the same vehicle.
As another example, FIG. 9 depicts a conventional suspension arm 422 comprising a first elongated support member 434, a second elongated support member 437, a support member 458, a support member 459, and a bracket 440. The first elongated support member 434 is substantially straight, while the second elongated support member 437 is bent. The bracket 440 is formed from stamped sheet metal and comprises an attachment portion 442 and a kick portion 444. The attachment portion 442 includes a bottom surface 450 to which distal ends of the first and second elongated support members 434, 437 are attached, such as by welding. The kick portion 444 includes an opening 445 for supporting a ring 462 which can receive a ball joint of a wheel knuckle.
A proximal end of the first elongated support member 434 is welded to the support member 458, and a proximal end of the second elongated support member 437 is welded to the support member 459. The support member 458 includes a support arrangement 463, and the support member 459 includes a support arrangement 461. The support members 458 and 459 can facilitate the pivotal attachment of the suspension arm 422 with respect to the frame of a vehicle. A utility tab 454 is welded or otherwise attached to the bracket 440 to facilitate attachment of a cushion to the suspension arm 422. As discussed above with respect to FIG. 8, the suspension arm 422 of FIG. 9 is expensive to manufacture due to the need for bending the second elongated support member 437. In addition, as with the suspension arm 322 depicted in FIG. 8, it will be appreciated that the bracket 440 of the suspension arm 422 is not suitable for use upon both sides of a vehicle because the kick portion 444 has a compound angle with respect to the attachment portion 442. Accordingly, as with the suspension arm 322 of FIG. 8, when making a corresponding suspension arm for an opposite side of the same vehicle, it will be appreciated that at least the bracket 440 must be replaced with an alternative bracket. Accordingly, a manufacturer must purchase differing components for manufacturing such suspension arms configured for opposite sides of the same vehicle.